This Strange War of Mine
by clumsyscientist
Summary: Arcadia Bay is in ruins. An ongoing civil war has pit a strong military side against the resilient rebels, but it is the civilians paying the ultimate price. During this time of misery and despair, two childhood best friends are reunited once again. Can they still accept each other even though they are on opposing sides? [AU, LiS/This War of Mine]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _3 hours left until dawn. Time to hustle._

Chloe leans her left ear against the door, careful to avoid any splinters. She waits for any sounds of movement. Seconds tick by, then minutes. Satisfied, she holds her breath and slowly turns the knob. The unlocked door quietly opens without a creak.

 _Success! Ninja Chloe strikes again._

Disposing the lockpick, she crouches as low as possible and silently steps into the house. She gently shuts the door behind her and stealthily scampers to the darkest corner of the hallway. She lets her eyes adjust to the lack of light for several moments and analyses her surroundings.

The interior of the semi-detached house looks like every other house in Arcadia Bay today. Abandoned, broken, despondent. Rubble are intermittently strewn all over the floor and gaping holes on the walls have been hastily boarded up with uneven planks of wood. The recent rain gives off an unpleasant damp, mouldy smell and Chloe swears she hears rodents scurrying around somewhere in the vicinity. She peers into the kitchen nearby, and sees steam waffing out of a pot.

 _Someone is here._

She takes a deep breath and tries not to get her hopes up. There is no proof the person she's looking for is here, and it will not do her any good to go calling her out and getting herself killed for no good reason. Chloe may not have to constantly worry everyday about being shot, but she does live in a warzone. It is impossible to shut out the sounds of shelling and shots ringing in the distance. Whispers of civilians being slaughtered and purposely taken advantage of by soldiers are not uncommon, no matter how hard the military tries to shut down the rumours and blame them on the rebels. No one can continue living in such a situation without developing a basic level of street smarts.

Chloe shakes off her thoughts and focuses on her current objective.

 _Find Rachel._

She sneaks down the hallway and passes an opening on the floor that leads to the basement. There are flickers of light through the cracks and she hears barely audible music playing.

 _Wait, not music. Are those…whale sounds on loop? What the fuck._

Suddenly, Chloe hears a male voice coming from beneath her. He sounds agitated, even unhinged. She freezes for a few moments but is only able to make out one single voice. Chloe picks up her pace and moves on, hoping that whoever the man is stays in the basement until she finds Rachel. Best case scenario, he's a friendly. Worse case scenario, he comes after her with a hatchet.

 _Okay, she's not here. Maybe she has already left?_

She quickly tries to hunt for any clues or signs that could be left behind by Rachel. Perhaps a note, one of her earrings, bracelets, or, hell, even a torn piece of her shirt. Anything to indicate she has passed through here. It is not like her to go for weeks like this without letting her know she was fine.

 _The only reason Rachel could have disappeared without a trace is… No, I am not going there. Especially when there is no body as proof._

Chloe is just toeing past the first bedroom when she felt a ferocious blow to the side of her head. The hit left her sprawled on the grimy parquet floor. Despite seeing stars, her survival instincts kick in and she quickly crawls away from her attacker. Her hand gropes for her holster and grabs her 9mm pistol.

"Stay the fuck away from me or I'll shoot!" she warns, as she turns on her back and points her weapon at her assailant.

"…Price?" says a vaguely familiar voice as the figure ignores her threat and inches dangerously close.

The throbbing in her head becomes more pronounced even as she stops seeing double. Her head finally connects against a huge, fallen debris as she is backed into a corner. She squints her eyes to get a better look at her attacker. At first, she could only make out a tall man with disheveled brown hair wearing a dirty tan jacket and jeans. It is not until she looks at his cobalt blue eyes that something inside her mind clicks.

"Shit, Nathan Prescott? What the hell are you doing here? Are you on an assignment?" she asks, lowering her gun, feeling slightly relieved to see a familiar face.

But she doesn't realise that the familiar face is looking at her fiercely, even menacingly.

"No, what the fuck are YOU doing here? Fuck, no one is supposed to know I'm here! Who sent you?!"

"What? No one sent me, asshole. I am looking for Rachel. This is listed as one of her assigned temporary safe houses…"

Chloe's explanation is suddenly cut short when Nathan kicks her pistol out of her grasp and points his own Glock 20 at her.

 _So that's what he hit me with._

"Nathan? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!" she pleads, feeling confused and disoriented as her hands grope for any small debris she could use as projectile.

"Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!" he yells, coming in closer to her with the barrel of his handgun pointing straight between her eyes.

"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this. Madsen will make you pay if anything happens to me," she threatens meekly, and briefly contemplates lunging at him but she knows she's too dizzy and weak to make a sudden movement.

"Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass, would they?"

That struck a nerve for some reason, perhaps because it is so damn accurate. It was certainly enough to make her throw caution into the wind.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" she spits out.

 _Bang!_

A shot fired. Chloe closes her eyes on reflex and feels something falling on her legs. The bullet whizzes so close to her head that her right ear is ringing so hard it must be bleeding. She opens her eyes; she doesn't understand why she is still alive, or why Nathan is lying motionless slumped on top of her. She looks up to see another person over her. The figure is more petite this time, a female tentatively holding a baseball bat with both hands. Her face is filthy.

 _No, wait, they are just freckles…_

"Hey, erm, are you okay?" she asks, almost timidly, as if Chloe isn't the one bleeding, unarmed and unable to move because there is a full-grown man trapping her underneath him.

But the intruder's voice clears the fog in her mind; the grogginess Chloe has been feeling due to the initial blow is suddenly lifted. The female's face comes into focus. It is a face that is as familiar to her as the back of her hand; the face that she dreams of every time life is being a bitch to her. She doesn't know whether to feel elated that one of her dreams finally came true, or scared that she is actually dead and staring at her angel.

"Max?" Chloe finally squeaks out.

There was a moment of pause before the person's eyes grew wide in recognition.

"…oh my god, Chloe?!"

It is the final thing she heard before passing out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Knock, knock, knock.

 _Ugh, even her stupid knocks are as pathetic as she is._

Victoria smashes her cigarette into the ashtray and walks silently towards the front door.

"Password?" she asks, feeling every bit like a bouncer of a shady club. For a brief moment, she wonders what she would have named her secret club, if she had one.

 _Oh well, a question that is only relevant in an alternate universe_ , she muses.

She peeks through the peephole and places her shotgun by the door, relieved that it is exactly who she thinks it is, regardless of her less than stellar feelings for her.

"Paladin."

Victoria takes out a bunch of keys from her pocket and methodically unlocks the three heavy-duty padlocks before unhooking the two steel safety catches and opens the door.

It is safe to say that what Victoria sees next is enough for her to slam the door shut. She would have absolutely done it too, if she could have gotten her limbs to work in tandem to what her brain is screaming at her to.

Max, with her idiotic sheepish grin, is holding a rusty wheelbarrow. On it is a person. An unconscious female to be more specific, with faded blue hair and blood drying on one side of her face. Victoria takes note that the stranger's clothes are relatively clean and she is even wearing a ballistic vest. Based on her physical appearance, it is obvious the person is not just another random civilian scavenging for leftovers. Before Victoria could react, Max pushes through inside the house with the wheelbarrow.

"Close the door, Vic!"

Usually, Victoria would resent being yelled at by Max. But there are more pressing matters to tend to now.

 _Like, why the fuck did Max bring this stranger into their hideout?_

"Max, what the hell is this?! We agreed to keep to keep to ourselves! That means no more fucking strays!" Victoria slams the door shut and bolts all the locks.

Ignoring her irate housemate, Max pushes the wheelbarrow into her bedroom, and carefully carries Chloe onto the bed. First her upper body, then legs.

Suddenly, she feels an almost violent tug on her arm. Victoria is next to her, enraged. Max swears that despite the numerous times she pushes her buttons, Victoria has never looked more incensed than she does right now. Her eyes are bulging, her face is red and her free hand is clenched in a fist. Thank goodness she is at least unarmed.

"I repeat, what. The. Hell. Is. This?"

"Listen, I will explain everything. But right now," Max pulls out an emergency kit and hands it to Victoria. "You have to focus on her, okay? I will take care of…this."

Victoria's eyes soften for a second. It is enough for Max to know that she does feel grateful, regardless of how she is acting at this very moment. It is a very brief second though, and Victoria quickly has on her usual murderous look again. Grabbing the emergency kit, she leans close to Max and whispers harshly, "If she does anything, anything at all, know that it will be all on you."

Victoria turns and heads up the stairs, leaving Max alone in the room with her patient. Max walks towards Chloe and proceeds to clean the bloody side of her face with a damp towel. The gash on her head seems superficial thankfully, though the swelling looks substantial. She will definitely wake up with a hell of a headache. Max prepares a glass of water and a couple of Tylenols on the nightstand next to Chloe's handgun. She sits on the edge of the bed and takes a second to admire her childhood best friend. Chloe's high cheekbones seem even more prominent now, and her flawless pale skin only further highlights her blue hair. Her eyes travel to her lips, bringing her back to moments before her world was turned upside down.

* * *

Eight years ago

"Kiss me then," Chloe suddenly said with her signature cocky grin, turning on her side to get a better look at Max.

"Wh...what?" the younger girl stuttered.

"Look, if you are so curious about what a kiss feels like, I'll show you. For free! Come on, you deserve to get your first kiss from me anyway," said Chloe confidently, though Max does detect her cheeks turning slightly crimson.

It was a Saturday morning like any other in the military base town of Arcadia Bay. Reports of armed conflicts around the country were common, but the idyllic seaside town remained safe under the protection of the locally-stationed government soldiers. Naturally, two young teenage girls that just woke up from a sleepover was not thinking of an impending civil war, nor the deaths and destruction fast coming their way. No, they were talking about boys and kissing them.

"Erm, but would it be like, weird?" Max asked hesitantly.

Chloe rolled her eyes and went in for the kill.

"You are over-thinking this, Casanova. You know what? I'm daring you to kiss me. In fact, I double dare you. Kiss me now," Chloe said as she scooted closer to her friend in anticipation.

She knew she had a crush on her best friend. It was cliche, and almost certainly the theme of hundreds of mediocre teenage romance novels, but it was the truth. She wanted to spend all her time with Max, and when they weren't together, she thought of what she would want to do with Max the next time they hung out. But Chloe knew her feelings were one-sided. The reason why she was making out with Justin was to make Max jealous but of course, she wasn't. In fact, Max wanted to know all the juicy details of Chloe making out with someone else, much to the latter's chagrin.

But Chloe was okay with that. They have their whole life together ahead of them. As long as Max is in her life, she can accept her love being unrequited, though she is definitely not willing to hear about Max's future sexcapades.

 _Too bad she's such a chickenshit to kiss me_ , Chloe chuckled. She was about to claim victory when she felt Max pulled her close by the shoulders and kissed her lips. It was brief and over in a blink, but enough for Chloe to feel tingles and butterflies. The heat that spread over Chloe's face was so intense she wouldn't be surprised if Max felt it. When Max pulled back, Chloe could see an almost shy smile on her face.

"Well, I guess I can tell why there is so much fuss about kissing," Max said almost perceptively.

 _Wait, does that mean she liked it? Did she?_

"Damn, you're hardcore, Max! Now I can text Warren and tell him he doesn't stand a chance, unless he's into girl-on-girl action," Chloe said, flustered and trying to turn the kiss into a joke.

"You're such a dork, Chloe Price," Max said before laughing.

They were suddenly interrupted by heavy steps rushing up the stairs and Chloe's bedroom door bursting wide open.

"...Mum? What's going on?" Max asked and jumped away from Chloe's personal space.

Vanessa Caulfield was in her combat uniform, which was not unusual since she was supposed to be currently working. But what was out of the ordinary was the rest of her appearance. Her beret was missing and her usual impeccable hair was a mess. Not to mention that her typical calm demeanor was totally replaced by quiet, panicked frenzy.

"Max, sweetheart, listen to me. Go get your stuff. We have to go now," Vanessa said in a voice that brooked no dissent.

Quickly, Max leaped off the bed, grabbed her backpack and tossed her clothes and books inside. Her parents have prepared her for this. They said war will come to Arcadia Bay soon and they have to be ready. Max tried to warn Chloe about this, but she always just laughed it off.

"Wait... what's going on? Are you guys leaving? Where are you going?" Chloe asked, confused. She was off the bed by this time, and seemed to want to physically restrain Max from leaving with her mother. Chloe could tell something terrible was going on. Watching Max rushing to leave terrifies her to no end.

"Chloe, your family will be fine. This is temporary, we will see each other again soon," Vanessa said while holding on to Max's hand and pulling her gently towards the doorway.

"Vanessa? What is going on here?" Joyce Price, Chloe's mother, appeared in the doorway, her hair wrapped in a wet towel.

"Joyce, Max and I have to leave now. We'll meet soon, okay?" Vanessa said curtly, before pushing past Joyce and heading down the stairs with Max in tow.

"Wait, why can't Chloe and Joyce come with us? We are all going to the barracks, right?" Max asked, puzzled as to why her mother was being so dismissive.

"You'll see, sweetheart."

They left the Price household and hopped into a humvee before pulling out of the driveway. Max looked back and watched as Chloe rushed out of the house and tried to catch their speeding vehicle. She was calling out Max's name before bursting into tears by the side of the road. Max felt a painful squeeze in her heart.

 _It's okay, you big drama queen. We'll see each other soon in camp. There is no need to cry._

Lost in her thoughts, Max didn't realise that her mother has been driving in silence for a suspiciously long time. They drove past her high school, local hospital and even the junkyard by the edge of town. It was only when they passed the last side road leading to the military base camp that Max snapped out of her reverie.

"Erm, Mum? Where are we going? I think we are not going the right way..." she asked, fearing the truth of the situation.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. We are not going to the military," Vanessa said as gently as possible, even as she stepped on the gas. "We are leaving Arcadia Bay."

* * *

Present

A reflection from Chloe's collarbone brings Max back to the present. She reaches under Chloe's chin and examines a chain. Of course, it is a dog tag.

 _This just confirms she's military. Shit._

Max stands up, quickly grabs Chloe's gun, empties the magazine and returns it to the nightstand. She then carefully inspects each item in Chloe's bagpack. There are five packets of biscuits (talk about over-rationing), two water bottles, a Swiss army knife, a mini first aid kit and a metal tin. Max feels her blood freeze.

 _If there is a bug or tracking device in here, we are dead._

Nervously, she unlocks the metal and opens it. She doesn't know what to expect. Perhaps a self-timer bomb or a letter that says "WE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE NOW". But instead, all she finds are photos. Images of Chloe and a stunningly beautiful girl. There are photos of them at the beach, school and even the local junkyard. They look happy together. There is even a photo strip of them goofing around in a photobooth. In the final photo of the strip, Chloe was looking lovingly at the girl; it was the same look Max had noticed Chloe casting at her many years ago. Max blinks away the tears that are threatening to pool in her eyes.

 _That was a different life. At least, I know Chloe hasn't been alone._

Max flips to the next photo of Chloe and her father, William. This time, she lets the tears flow down her cheeks. He was like a second father to her and she didn't even say a proper goodbye. Max wonders if Chloe actually knew what really happened to her father...

She sighs and moves on to the final photo. It takes awhile for her to register what she is seeing. It is a photo of two young girls in matching pirate outfits. The blonde girl is wearing a pirate hat while the brunette has an eye patch.

 _Oh my god, this is us. She doesn't hate me..._

"Wow, is that you? You're especially lame in your tweens."

Max jumps and turns to the voice, only to see Victoria smirking at her over her shoulders.

"Christ, Vic, you scared the shit out of me..."

"Good to know," Victoria says before turning to leave the room. "Looks like your patient will survive whatever injuries she got. Come with me, we need to talk."

Max returns Chloe's belongings in her backpack and quickly closes the bedroom door behind her.

"Is she okay?" Max asks.

"Kate will be fine. I have cleaned and disinfected her wound, stitched her up and gave her medications. She should be cleared to move tomorrow," Victoria says nonchalantly, but Max could tell Kate getting shot really shook her. "Did you have trouble stealing the supplies from Nathan earlier?"

"No, you were right about where he keeps his stash." Max decides not to tell Victoria she hit her ex-boyfriend with a baseball bat, yet.

"Good. Now, what we really need to talk about," she continues before lighting a cigarette and gesturing to the closed bedroom door. "Is that. Who is she? An old flame?"

Max braces herself for another round of rebukes. "That's Chloe Price."

Victoria stares at Max, her lit cigarette remains forgotten between her fingers. "Are you saying that is the late General William Price's daughter?"

"Yes, and she is still military. She is wearing her dog tag."

There is a thoughtful silence in the air. Victoria suddenly remembers her cigarette and continues smoking while smoothing her newly cut pixie hairstyle. It was Kate's experiment on her but it turned out really well.

"Okay, we can work on this. Depending on what happens at the treaty tomorrow, we can hold her hostage and find out how to take advantage of her," Victoria says after a moment.

 _Wow, she is actually calm about this._

 _Eh, wait. Did she say hostage?_

"You want to keep a hostage?" Max asks incredulously. "Are you serious? There are only the two of us and Kate is on the mend. There is no way in hell we can keep her here if she doesn't want to."

"Well, we can shoot her in the foot so she can't run or hurt us..."

"Victoria, we are NOT shooting her."

"Okay, genius, then what IS your plan? Are we supposed to just let her leave when she wakes up? Max, half of the Arcadia Bay army will be at our doorstep by tomorrow morning."

"She won't rat on us," Max says, though she failed to say so convincingly.

"Right. Max, let's be real, you couldn't even convince yourself," Victoria says condescendingly while flicking her cigarette at a nearby ashtray. "Look, that girl may have been your best friend ten years ago, but she has been brainwashed to kill you in a heartbeat now. Whoever you thought she is, she is no longer that person. And you will be wise to remind yourself of that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Max walks lightly into Kate's room, careful not to make a noise. The dawn October light softly filters through the tattered curtains and bathes the bedroom in beautiful hues of orange and yellow. It is almost picturesque, if not for the half-broken wardrobe, rusty metal study desk with matching chair, and partially rotting carpet. If not for Kate in a sorry state, but lying on a relatively clean bed. She was shot clean through her shoulder, but the cut was left untreated and became infected. Just a few hours ago, she was feverish and shivering with blood continuously dripping out of her wound. Stealing the necessary supplies to save Kate was the easiest thing that Max decided to do.

 _Well, that plus knocking Nathan out to save Chloe._

Max tentatively moves closer to Kate and dims the lighted torch by her bed. Kate's complexion already looks healthier and she is no longer sweating. Her right side has also been neatly bandaged into a sling by Victoria and it looks like the bleeding has stopped. Max gently touches her forehead. It is thankfully almost cool to the touch. Pleased with Kate's condition, Max places some rations by the bed and turns around to leave.

"Max? Where are you going?" says a sleepy voice.

Max stops and turns to see Kate smiling sweetly with half-lidded eyes. Max has never felt more relieved. Kate Marsh has been a staple part of her life ever since the Caulfields left Arcadia Bay, and if something were to happen to Kate, well, let's just say Max would never forgive herself. When the Caulfields reached the rebels camp in Seattle eight years ago, it was Father Richard Marsh, a pastor in the community, who sent his daughters, Kate and Lynn, to check up on Max and befriend her while Major Ryan Caulfield and Officer Vanessa Caulfield were called to the field. Of course their ranks meant diddly squat after defecting from the army, but everyone in camp still calls them by their titles as a mark of respect for helping them in their cause.

Not that Max cared then. She was thirteen and in her mind, she has just left her best friend and her mother to die in Arcadia Bay while she escaped like a coward. Her best friend who stood up to Max's bullies in kindergarten; her best friend who gave her a piggyback all the way home when she jumped off their tree house because of a dare and broke her ankle. They promised to be BFF and yet Max left her as soon as she could before the first shelling even hit Arcadia Bay. Max was shattered. For weeks, she was either crying or spacing out. Her parents were at their wits' end, and with the rebels' cause on their shoulders, they were at a loss to handle Max's behaviour.

But Kate and Lynn were there and they helped. They lent her their shoulders to cry on, and played games with her to distract her thoughts. They say time heals all wounds. They don't, but the wounds now only periodically throb instead of searing her with pain. Over time, she learnt to lock Chloe and Arcadia Bay in a forbidden box deep in her heart. Life goes on.

 _Until of course now that I am back in Arcadia Bay and Chloe fell right into my lap. Figuratively._

"Hi Kate, you look like a million bucks," Max says while sitting on the edge of the bed and holding Kate's free hand.

"I feel like one," Kate comments and squeezes her hand. "I heard you saved my life."

"Well, you saved mine first. It's the least I could do."

"This is the second time though. I owe you one now."

"No, shut up, you owe me nothing," Max insists. "Just rest now, we have to move to our rendezvous point tomorrow for the peace treaty."

"Is there still no sign of Warren?"

Max shakes her head. Warren was supposed to arrive two days ago at their hideout. He was assigned as the group's scout to check on the situation ahead and report on the status of the other rebels.

"He is probably just held up. There have been increased reports of clashes on the streets and shelling in several areas. Don't worry, we'll bump into him soon. You just worry about yourself," Max says before giving her a quick peck on her forehead.

"And do I have to worry about who you brought home today?" Kate asks with a half-cheeky grin.

"What? How do you know about that?"

"Max, whenever you and Victoria get into it, half the camp could hear you two. What more in a house? Seriously though, what's going on?"

Max sighs. She releases her hand, grabs a cigarette from her pocket, lights it and starts smoking. Kate wrinkles her nose in mild disgust. She does not get the appeal of smoking, but she accepts that it helps calm some people's nerves. Considering Max only smokes when she's anxious, something serious must be going on.

Kate examines Max while she steels her nerves. She looks unharmed at least. Wearing her trademark grey hoodie, nondescript shirt and blue jeans, she could easily pass off as an innocent civilian in the background. But like every rebel recruit, she is well-trained in self-defence, martial arts and basic weaponry. In fact, despite her baby face and doe eyes, Max is a marksman. But after shooting a drunk Hayden Jones in the head after he tried to force himself on Kate, Max couldn't bear to take another person's life again. This is why her current choice of weapon is a baseball bat. Just sneak around and knock the victim off their feet from behind with a single blow. At least if she did kill someone, she couldn't be sure about it.

"Max, tell me what's going on."

Max sighs again. "It's Chloe Price."

Something about the name strikes a chord in Kate's mind, but she's not able to match the name to a face. If it's not someone she has met before…

"Oh my god, are you referring to your best friend, Chloe Price? Oh right, I'm so sorry, Max, I forgot you were from Arcadia Bay! I feel so foolish. Is she okay? Are you okay?" Kate asks frantically and is even attempting to sit up. It really bothers her that she forgot. She should have been more concerned about Max's well-being. Instead, she was so caught up in the rebels' cause that she totally forgot about Max's past.

"Kate, calm down," Max says, while gently holding Kate down to the bed. "I'm fine, everything is fine. I left Arcadia Bay years ago. There is no need to re-hash things. I'm okay, I just found Chloe passed out by the side of the road. She probably has a slight concussion, but she's otherwise fine."

"So, she's downstairs right now? Gosh, you two are fated to be together . Can I meet her?"

"She's still passed out. And don't get your hopes up. She's military. I wouldn't be surprised if she shoots me between the eyes as soon as she sees I'm not in uniform."

"Oh, I see," Kate says in a disappointed tone. "Well, that makes things more complicated. But I'm so happy for you though. You blamed yourself for so long that you left her for dead but Max, she's alive. She's alive and she's here. You must be really happy to see her."

Max takes another puff and reflects on Kate's comment. "You know, I was surprised when I first recognised her. Then I was concerned because she's injured. Then, after I snooped around, and found out she's military, I was worried and immediately disarmed her. And now, now, when I finally have a chance to take it all in, you're right. I am...happy," she says, almost hesitantly, as if she's not sure what to make of it.

Except she knows what to make of it. "But I ask myself, what right do I have to feel happy to see her? The fact was, I left her for dead. I don't deserve to see her again, and I don't deserve to feel relieved that I didn't kill her."

Kate reaches out to hold Max's hand again. "Unbelievable. Eight years later, and you are still blaming yourself for everything. I'm surprised you haven't figured out a way to blame yourself for causing this civil war."

"Well, the day is still young, Kate Marsh. Anyway, enough about me. I don't know what to do now about Chloe. Victoria had the balls to suggest we shoot her so she wouldn't be able to run away or harm us."

"Well..."

"Kate, we are not shooting her," Max says with narrowed eyes.

"I know, I know, I'm just joking. You are so serious sometimes, you know?" says Kate. "But we both know we cannot let her go until after the peace treaty is signed. If the army gets wind that Victoria Chase is in Arcadia Bay and only guarded by two girls, they will try to take her. Talk to Chloe, find a way to make her want to stay with us."

"Are you kidding? I'm not sure what propaganda the military brainwashes their people with, but I'm pretty sure _Shoot anyone who is NOT one of us_ is pretty much a given."

"She's your best friend though. You'll figure it out."

"That was years ago, Kate. I'm not her best friend anymore. In fact, I'm sure the phrase _best friend_ here can be rearranged into the letters M-O-R-T-A-L-E-N-E-M-Y."

"Max, dear, you can be so dramatic. You know, some people can spend their whole life trying to find this relationship that you had with Chloe, and they'll never be able to replicate it. That kind of relationship doesn't just fade away. People don't just change 180 degrees, Max. Have faith that she's still the same Chloe Price."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Chloe stumbled down the stairs with one hand on the railings and the other rubbing her eyes. She couldn't quite remember what woke her up or what made her head downstairs. She walked into the dim kitchen to see a familiar silhouette lighted by the full moon. The figure was just staring out the window by the sink. He was standing perfectly still._

 _"Dad?" Chloe called out hesitantly._

 _The figure turned around and beamed at his only daughter. Although no one would describe him as a burly man, General William Price could cut quite an intimidating figure, especially when dressed in his full combat uniform._

 _"Hey, there's Daddy's girl. What are you doing up, kiddo?" he asked, before setting his coffee mug on the counter and walking over to give Chloe a kiss on her head._

 _"I'm not sure. I couldn't sleep, I guess. What's going on? Why are you all dressed up for work?" she asked and flipped the switch by the doorway._

 _When the kitchen lit up, Chloe realised for the first time in her life how tired her father looked. The dark circles under his eyes had become more prominent of late, and his eyes were not shining as brightly. There was even a small cut on his lower cheek, probably made while shaving._

 _"Sweetheart," he began, before kneeling down in front of his daughter and holding her hands in his. "I have to work today. I'm so sorry."_

 _"What? No! We're supposed to go to the beach together today. Max even brought her suit! You promised, Dad," Chloe said in near tears. She hasn't spent much time with her father since news of the European civil unrest has spread to the United States two years ago. What started as peaceful strikes against austerity measures and greedy corporations in the region have erupted into violent clashes and armed conflicts throughout the years. Numerous attempts at peaceful negotiations have failed, and the whole world have been pulled into the chaos. Eventually, no country would be spared. This would be one of the last peaceful moments left in Arcadia Bay. But Chloe didn't know that. All the 14-year-old wanted was a long overdue beach trip with both her parents and best friend._

 _"I know, honey. I'm so sorry. I have no choice. I promise we'll go on Sunday, okay? Scout's honour," William said apologetically while holding out three fingers on his right hand. It was obvious that he hated disappointing his daughter, and that made Chloe feel slightly better._

 _"The war is coming, isn't it?" she asked, while wiping her eyes with the back of her hand._

 _"What? No, sweetheart. The war is far away from Arcadia Bay. We are fine here, protected by the finest soldiers the army has to offer. I mean, just look at how strong Daddy is," William said and flexed his muscles, which earned him a snort of laughter from the teenager. "That's my girl. Now give me a hug and go back to bed."_

 _Chloe wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders and squeezed him tight. She loved hugging him. It was like an instant blanket of security and comfort. She could smell a hint of his bodywash scent and felt his short, cropped hair tickling her neck._

 _Without warning, she felt his body spasmed._

 _"Dad?" she pulled away in alarm and took a step back._

 _William's face has gone pale; his expression was one of confusion and shock. He looked down at his hand holding over his stomach. Chloe watched in slow motion as a pool of blood slowly spread over the spot her father was clutching. He took his hand off the wound and studied his hand dripping in blood. He seemed mesmerised by it._

 _Wordlessly, he fell to the floor with his head at his daughter's feet._

 _"Oh my god, oh my god… Dad? Dad!" Chloe cried and pushed him onto his back. She immediately tried to stem pressure on his bleeding wound, like she was taught in school. His father's opened eyes were already blank, lifeless. She didn't know what to do. The blood kept pouring and her father was unresponsive._

 _"MUM! MUM! HELP! MAX!" she shouted amidst her cries. She could hardly see anymore because she was crying so hard._

 _"Dad, please don't do this to me," she pleaded. She stopped her fruitless attempt at stopping the bleeding and instead cradled her father's head in her arms. Her bloody hands were making a mess as she held him, but she didn't care. She needed him to wake up, needed to let him know she couldn't live without him._

 _"Dad, please don't leave me. Please don't leave me…"_

Chloe's eyes pop open. It was just another dream but her cheeks are damp with tears anyway. There is a dull throb on one side of her head for some reason and her body aches from lying in an uncomfortable bed. She rubs away the tears and tries to remember if she was drinking the night before.

"Good morning, Chloe," says a soft female voice on the other side of the room.

Chloe sits up in panic and looks across the room but is unable to see the person clearly because half of the room is devoid of any light. She spots her handgun in her peripheral view on the nightstand, grabs it and aims the weapon at the general direction of the voice. She knows immediately however that it was a futile attempt.

 _Shit, the gun is too light. They must have unloaded it._

"Wow, are you that eager to take a shot at me? Hear me out first at least."

Chloe squints as the speaker slowly steps out from the shadows. Once Chloe sees Max's face, memories of the night before come flooding into her mind.

"No way, you're not real. The Max Caulfield I knew is either dead or has left Arcadia Bay," she says, still aiming the gun pointlessly at Max's doppelganger.

 _Is this a cruel joke? First, a nightmare about her father dying in her arms and now, this? Max looks so…unbelievably real. My head must have been cracked open harder than I thought._

Max watches in mild amusement at Chloe's internal battle. While she misses Chloe's long blonde hair when they were teens, Max has to admit that the punk blue hair look she is sporting right now suits her more. Max wouldn't be surprised if Chloe has tattoos and body piercings to complete the transformation. Yes, she realises that they last saw each other eight years ago, but she couldn't believe how much Chloe has grown and matured. Max still feels like a lame 13-year-old next to her with her old teen hairstyle and lack of fashion sense.

"How about I prove it to you?" Max grabs a nearby chair and sits herself near the bed. "Many years ago, a young Chloe Price had the brilliant idea of stealing the school caretaker's keys and convincing an innocent Max Caulfield to go for an illegal midnight dip in the pool. Unfortunately, we forgot about the guards patrolling the school grounds in the wee hours. We ended up hiding in the locker room in our swimsuits and almost got away with it smoothly when…"

"Heh, when I just had to let out a giant sneeze which scared the shit out of the nearby guard and he ran to get help. To be fair, what kind of a guard shit his pants over a sneeze?"

"To be fair, it was monstrous, Chloe," Max chuckles briefly. "We were lucky to be able to grab our clothes while he was gone and leave. We were laughing so hard though…"

"Yeah, and it was fuckin' freezing. I caught a cold and was in bed for days. It was worth it though," Chloe says, while slowly putting the gun down.

"Yeah, yeah, it was wicked fun."

There is an awkward silence as Chloe sizes Max up. It's hard to believe her eyes. Max looks exactly as she did eight years ago. Perhaps she has grown slightly taller, and maybe developed a sense of quiet confidence over the years. But that's it. It's like being transported into the past when her life was worth living again, before the war.

 _Dammit, she's still hella cute._

"So," Chloe snaps out of her thoughts and examines her surroundings. "We've established that you're the real Max Caulfield. Where am I?"

"You're in my hideout. We're safe. You had a concussion, courtesy of Nathan, and now you're recovering. You're out for just a few hours," Max says methodically now.

"And you decided that it's important to unarm me because…?"

"It's just for precaution," Max says evasively.

She seems to suddenly be treating Chloe like a stranger, as if they didn't just have a connection moments ago.

"Tell me what happened," Chloe asks, trying to keep her annoyance in check.

"Well, once you concussed, I saw a wheelbarrow…"

"What? No," Chloe says, becoming increasingly irked. "I was talking about eight years ago when you decided to abandon me."

If the brief silence was awkward before, it is excruciating now. The morning bombing in a distant neighbourhood can be heard in the background. Otherwise, the shelter they are in is deathly quiet. Max looks away in shame and remorse.

"After eight years, you're still Max Caulfield. Don't give me the guilty face. At least pretend you're glad to see me."

"I am seriously glad to see you," Max says, trying to meet Chloe's eyes.

"Yeah?" Chloe retorts, almost struggling now to keep her dam of anger from breaking. "Then tell me what happened. I'm sure you knew about my father, who died on the same day you left. I'm sure you knew my mother and I were left stranded with no guarantee of safety. The army was ready to throw us into the streets if it weren't for my mother who managed to get a job feeding the soldiers. Oh, and do you know I have a stepdouche now to ensure we have a roof over our heads and protected by the army? My life has been just dandy. I think you owe me some sort of explanation."

"Chloe," Max starts, while trying to hold back her tears. "There's nothing I could say that would take away what happened…"

"You're right. It wouldn't change shit. Yet, you owe me an explanation."

Max feels trapped. She couldn't figure out a credible excuse. No matter how much training she went through, she could never master the art of lying. Put her in a spot like this and her brain turns to mush. Besides, she owes Chloe the truth.

"Hey, is everything…oh, she's awake."

Chloe and Max whip their heads towards the door. Victoria is standing by the door frame with her trusty shotgun by her side. Unlike Max, who is dressed to blend in with the citizens, Victoria always seems ready for battle in her SWAT-like tactical combat get-up. Max warned her against looking like trouble, but naturally, she never listens.

"Hey, Vic. We're okay, thanks," Max says, while trying to secretly gesture at her to leave.

Chloe suddenly feels uneasy at that moment. This Victoria character looks so familiar. Chloe swears she has seen her before, on posters that are nailed all over the military base camp. The person on the poster has longer hair, but they both have the same bitchy face, distinctive nose and projects a holier-than-thou aura. Something lights up in Chloe's mind.

 _Oh my god…_

Chloe leaps out of bed, grabs her concealed handgun from her ankle holster, and aims it at Victoria.

"Whoa, whoa, Chloe! No, wait, I can explain!" Max shouts in alarm as she springs to stand in between Chloe and Victoria, who is also already pointing her weapon at the former.

"Drop your weapon," Victoria warns harshly while stepping into the room to get a more accurate aim at Chloe.

"No fuckin' way. You are Victoria Chase. Max, tell me, what the fuck are you doing with the daughter of the rebel leader?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Hey! Chill out! You two, put your weapons down NOW!" Max shouts in alarm while trying desperately to block their line of sight with her arms and standing in between them. She would never forgive herself if either Chloe or Victoria gets hurt. This is her mess to fix.

"Max, I can take the shot. Just give me the word…" Victoria says, although she is still pacing around the front door to get a clearer view.

"The fuck you can! I'll cap your ass first!" Chloe retorts but unlike Victoria, she is on the defensive and instead, takes a couple of steps back. With her throbbing head and emotional state at seeing Max again, Chloe is in no position to start a gunfight. Not to mention that she has never actually shot another person before. She has always been relatively safe staying at the military base and only practiced shooting empty beer bottles. What a mistake.

"GUYS!" yells Max furiously. The ferocity of her shout shuts them up instantly, which is quite a surprise to everyone in the room, including Max herself.

"Vic, do me a favour. Just quietly step out of the room and shut the door," continues Max, calmly this time.

"What?" says Victoria incredulously. "And leave you alone with this lunatic waving her gun around?"

"Don't call her that! You know her name. I need to talk to her alone. Just stay outside and wait for me, okay? Please?"

Victoria bites her lower lip as she weighs her choices and plots her next course of action. She does not feel comfortable leaving Max alone with someone who is armed, dangerous and clearly upset. If Max would just duck for a second, she could have a clear shot at Chloe. She is just a liability anyway. There is no reason to keep her if she's going to be like this, like trouble.

But she sees Max's pleading eyes and she knows the decision has already been made for her. Groaning inwardly, she cautiously puts her shotgun away, stares at Chloe dead in the eyes and warns, "I swear to God, if you hurt her in any way, any way at all, I will make sure that no one will ever find your body."

With that threat, Victoria walks out the door and closes it behind her. Max immediately releases the breath she didn't realise she was holding and sets her arms back on her sides.

 _Well, THAT went well. Okay, she deserves to know the truth._

Slowly, she turns her head towards Chloe. She knows her situation has not gotten any less precarious. Still, she cannot help but feel surprised looking down the barrel of a handgun pointed squarely at her. Chloe is breathing hard, out of both anger and disbelief. She is now circling away from Max, her eyes never once leaving the girl she thought she knew as well as she knows herself. Her stomach feels sick, her heart squeezed.

"Chloe," Max starts and takes a tentative step towards Chloe.

"Stop," Chloe says in a shaky voice and Max complies. "Tell me now it's not true. Tell me that wasn't Victoria Chase. Tell me you are not helping the rebels. Tell me this isn't some sick joke and my best friend is not fucking helping the very people who killed my father!"

 _Wow, did she just called me her best friend?_ Max's heart skips a beat at the thought.

 _Wait, we killed her father? No…_

"Chloe, I'll tell you everything. I promise, just put your gun away, please."

"Why?" asks Chloe, mostly out of habit. Giving everyone a hard time comes second nature to her. "So that I can listen to more of your lies? So that you can stab me in the back again? Why, Max? Why exactly should I put my gun away?"

Max remembers the photo in Chloe's backpack, the worn photograph of their last Halloween celebration as pirates. They spent the whole day working on their outfits, together with matching plastic swords and a fake parrot perched on Chloe's shoulder. There has to be a reason she is carrying that photo around. She reminds herself of Kate's words.

 _Have faith that she's still the same Chloe Price._ "Because you're not going to shoot me," she says boldly.

Seconds passed and Max is surprised she is still staring at Chloe's gun. She used to be able to call on Chloe's bluff. Kate's soothing reassurance in her mind has now been replaced by Victoria's stark warning.

 _Whoever you thought she is, she is no longer that person._

"…Right? Are you really going to shoot me, Chloe?" asks Max, her tone less confident this time.

"...Depends," says Chloe, though her softened eyes tell a different story. Her stance relaxes slightly and she stops backing away from Max. Chloe stares into Max's eyes, searching for the truth. "Are we in a rebels camp? Am I in danger? And don't try to fuckin' lie to me."

"No, we are not in camp, and you are not in danger. The rebels are just seeking shelter before heading to the peace treaty tomorrow. There is no threat on your life, I swear I'll protect you. Just put down your gun. I will tell you everything," reassures Max.

Chloe scoffs at Max's performance, but slowly put her gun down anyway. She is not exactly worried about her life. Far from it, her life means nothing to her really, not after her father's death and Max's disappearance. She just wants the truth from Max, and if that's going to get her killed, so be it.

"Talk," Chloe orders, trying to sound as hostile as possible, but it came out as a weak attempt at best. Yes, she is disgusted at the possibility of Max being a part of a group that ruined her life. But she couldn't actually be nasty to Max. For years, she tried desperately to hate Max. When that didn't work, she resorted to trying to forget Max's existence. She dumped everything that reminded her of Max into a trunk and sealed it. All of her presents to Chloe, the drawings and writings they did together, their favourite movie DVDs, photographs, everything. She vowed to set it ablaze at the junkyard but never gotten around to doing it. She tells herself that she just can't be bothered, and the junkyard is too dangerous to travel to. It doesn't matter that she couldn't help but bring one photo of Max with her everywhere she goes. Or that when she is having a bad day, she'll talk to Max in the photo before she goes to sleep and feels better afterwards. She tells herself that doesn't mean anything. She is so over Max Caulfield.

"Let's sit, okay?" Max says carefully before returning to her chair. Chloe seems to contemplate Max's suggestion for a second before complying and sitting on the edge of the bed. The mood in the room is still tense despite the unspoken truce. Chloe is still holding on to her gun and Max wonders if she is able to take on Chloe herself. Max is at an obvious disadvantage without a weapon or any defensive gear.

"Okay, erm, here goes nothing," Max says with a weak chuckle, trying to gain some pity from Chloe. She gets nothing though; Chloe's expression is now passive and unreadable. Max is not fooled though. Chloe's rage is just bubbling beneath the surface. One wrong word and Max could be in serious trouble. Taking a deep breath, she continues, "My parents have been rebel sympathisers since before the war hit Arcadia Bay. They have been secretly sharing confidential military information with the rebels, but it wasn't to kill soldiers. They just believe in the cause and wanted to make a difference. The top one per cent was taking over the world and controlling the governments and the military. It was time to stop that..."

"I am not here to listen to your propaganda bullshit, Max," Chloe says curtly. In her eyes, both parties are at fault for turning the world to shit. Everyone is greedy for power and nobody cares whose lives they have to destroy to get what they want. People are shitty like that.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get side-tracked," says Max apologetically. She stares absently at the palms of her hands, trying to pluck some courage to continue. Her hands have gotten rough over the years. She wonders why. "On the day before we left Arcadia Bay, someone from the military found out about my father and we had to escape immediately. The plan was to convince William to our side and bring you and your mother along as well. But..."

"...but?"

"But your father was killed. It wasn't the rebels who did it, I swear. But without your father, we felt that we had no right to drag you into this mess. Besides, you and Joyce are much safer in the military base..."

"Wait, stop," Chloe stands and starts pacing the room away from Max to calm herself down. She feels her insides engulfed in fury. She cannot stand to look at Max and listen anymore to her lies. Her hand grips her gun tight on reflex. "Do you think I was born yesterday? First, you tell me that the military has been infiltrated by rebels supporters but no, they didn't kill my father, who was shot in his own office. Then you tell me the reason you left my mum and I was because my father wasn't around to approve of it. What the fuck?"

"Chloe, I swear..."

"You know what I think though?" Chloe turns around and faces Max. Her fingers itches for the trigger, even though she knows she couldn't shoot Max. "I think Ryan couldn't persuade my father to his bullshit cause. In fact, it was my dad who found out he's a traitor and was about to tell on him, so Ryan shot him dead and ran off. Meanwhile, without my father around, my life and my mum's life meant shit to the Caulfields. So understandably, you just left us for dead. That's what really happened, wasn't it?"

"Chloe Elizabeth Price!" Max jumps off the chair in disbelief and anger. She fights to keep her feelings under control but she could barely stop shaking from rage. "How DARE you think we were using you and your family? How dare you think like that after all the trips, Christmas celebrations and Thanksgiving dinners we had even before we even heard of the war? It tore us apart to leave you and Joyce behind. My mum blames my dad for it to this day, and I could barely stand being in the same room with my own parents. Don't tell me your life meant shit to me."

There is a short pause as both girls try to control their anger. Both are visibly panting from the effort. "William is like a second father to me," Max finally continues calmly. "Neither my dad nor the rebels had anything to do with his death. You have to believe me."

"Assuming that I do," Chloe answers, keeping her own emotions in check. "What happened then after you left? Why didn't you ever try to contact me? It has been eight years, Max. The phone went down a year later, sure, but don't tell me there wasn't any way to send a message. What, none of your rebel friends ever thought of passing through Arcadia Bay?"

"I wanted to, Chloe. You have no idea how many unsent letters I wrote to you. But I don't actually know if you even wanted to hear from me," Max says before taking a seat again to cool down. "Look, for everything that I did, I'm so sorry. You can continue blaming me or hating me. Just don't think for a second that you mean nothing to me. I mean, don't think for a second your family means nothing to mine. That's what I meant."

Chloe raises her eyebrow at Max's rambling. She is clearly looking away from Chloe, perhaps due to guilt or embarrassment. "Smooth save, Caulfield," Chloe says before plopping down on the floor with her back against the wall, feeling emotionally drained. All the fight is gone from her. As unbelievable as Max's story is, she knows Max is telling her the truth. Her inability to lie has always been the reason they couldn't fool their parents when they were young. "So who killed my father, Max?"

"We really don't know. My father tried to look into it but it was near impossible. We don't have anyone inside the compound anymore," says Max in a defeated tone. She turns in her seat to face Chloe and drops to her knees in front of her.

"I want us to find out though. After the peace treaty is signed tomorrow and there is a ceasefire, we can work on this. Together. We can investigate what really happened," Max suggests in an almost shy tone.

Before Chloe could answer, the door barges open. Victoria looks at the two of them; she looks distressed and ready to flee. "Guys, we have company," she says, before tossing a baseball bat at Max.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Max grabs the tossed bat and quickly follows Victoria out the door. Chloe thought they were going to lock her inside the room. After all, she is technically the enemy. Plus, she has a loaded gun, so leaving her unattended with the door wide open and their backs to her is a really, really stupid idea.

But apparently, they are really, really stupid people.

In fact, Max even pauses for awhile at the door and gestures Chloe to follow her before disappearing down the hallway.

 _This feels like being stuck in a fucking twilight zone. Am I in an alternate universe where friendlies beat each other up, and enemies trust one another?_

Chloe grips her dogtag to remind herself of who she is, wishing it is this easy to get a grip on reality. She doesn't know what to make of today; she doesn't know what to make of Nathan's unprovoked attack, Max's reappearance in her life as a rebel, and the bombshell she dropped about her father's death. Not to mention she is not any closer to finding Rachel. But there is nothing she can do at the moment except to hang on to the ride. She'll figure this whole thing out soon enough.

With her gun in hand, Chloe gets up, dusts off her grey jeans and walks cautiously towards the door. She eyes her backpack and slings it over her shoulder, before grabbing her abandoned black beanie in the wheelbarrow. It was Rachel's, and it holds great sentimental value to her, a reminder of a brief but happy period in her life since the civil war started. She wears the beanie low over her head.

Chloe steps out of the room and looks down the hallway. The runner is heavily decomposed and the walls are filthy due to the lack of care but she knows exactly where she is now. This is the hallway she had spent many of her childhood days running around playfully chasing Max. This is the hallway that leads to the Caulfields' kitchen where Max and Chloe would have bowls of their favourite cereal trying to competitively outdo each other until they felt sick. She hasn't been back in years, but she should have recognised the guest room she was in.

Both Max and Victoria have disappeared, but Chloe has an idea of where they are. She walks up the stairs, squashing the feeling of déjà vu overwhelming her with each step. When she reaches the landing, she sees them crouching behind some fake tall plants in the balcony. Max's bat is leaning against the wall. Heavy bombings that levelled about twenty houses around the Caulfields' meant that the view from the second floor is totally unobstructed for miles ahead. The sky is bright with the morning sun, but the cold wind suggests that autumn will soon leave Arcadia Bay behind. Chloe pulls her jacket closer and joins the two.

"…can distract them with a grenade."

"Are you crazy?!"

"I'm talking about the worst case scenario! Look, we are not given grenades to hang them on Christmas trees, Max. We need to use them if necessary, and THIS situation looks necessary. We don't need to kill them, we just need to get their attention away from here."

"What's going on?" asks Chloe, while holstering her handgun.

Victoria shoves a pair of binoculars into her arms. "Your friends are looking for you."

Chloe steps closer to the edge and adjusts the binoculars in her hands. She sees about four to five men checking neighbouring houses for signs of activity. She zooms in. Victoria was right. She quickly recognises Henderson and Clyne in the group, two of her step-father's henchmen. They are checking each house in the vicinity and are coming closer to them. She has to do something before they reach the Caulfields' house.

"I have to go," says Chloe before thrusting the binoculars back into Victoria's arms.

Chloe leaves and is halfway down the stairs before someone grabs her arm so hard she nearly lost her balance.

"Do you seriously think we are just going to let you waltz out of here?" says an alarmed Victoria. "You know who we are, and you know where we stay; we cannot let you go."

"Look, you don't have a choice. They are coming this way and they will break down the front door to search this house. I was supposed to report back hours ago. If I return now, they will call off the search. Besides, if I had wanted you two dead, I would have just stayed here and they'll storm in with guns blazing."

"How can we just trust that you are not going to walk up to them and tell them exactly where we are?"

"Tough luck. You have no choice BUT to trust me. Now, get your fucking hands off me."

"She's right," adds Max, appearing on the steps with her hand on Victoria's arm in an attempt to reassure her. "Vic, we can trust her."

The friendly gesture irks Chloe for some reason. For a brief moment, she wonders if there was something going on between the two of them. _What are two rebels doing alone in a safehouse anyway_ , she thought.

Victoria's grip loosens in a moment of indecision and Chloe tears her arm off her grasp and walks towards the kitchen's back door. She doesn't want to have to explain to the guys what she's doing in the house if they saw her leaving from the front door.

"Chloe, wait, don't go into the kitchen…"

But Chloe has already opened the sliding doors and she is immediately hit by a slightly unpleasant, faint coppery smell. It reminds her of the medical facility in the military base when it's overwhelmed by dying soldiers but she cannot see any wounded here.

The kitchen looks the same as it was when Chloe last saw it, but she realises what causes the strange odour when her eyes draw down towards the kitchen tiles. It is virtually impossible not to, even in the poor light. The dried blood stain covers more than half of the floor's surface area. There are even splashes of angry red all over the countertop. Whatever happened here was a bloodbath. Gone were the innocent memories of her spending weekend mornings having breakfast in this kitchen before running out and playing in the backyard.

"There were…more of us. But…a stray got to them," says Max solemnly as she reaches Chloe's side.

Chloe turns and studies her friend. Max looks so small and exhausted suddenly. Chloe hates herself even more at that moment. How could she be so selfish, blaming her shitty life on Max when she must be going through hell too? It is already a miracle they have gone through this far in the war when many others didn't. Max doesn't need to deal with her bullshit as well.

"Come with me," blurts Chloe without thinking. "I can vouch for you and you can stay with me. It's much safer in the military base and I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

"No," says Max with a sad smile, before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, that's really sweet but I have a mission to complete. Besides, the peace treaty is happening tomorrow. It'll be a safer world then. Will you be there?"

Usually, Chloe prefers staying away from such boring propaganda events. She should really be out looking for Rachel anyway, but she is met with a dead-end with the search. Besides, as much as she tries to stop herself, she wouldn't miss any opportunity to see Max again.

"I'll see you there. Take care, okay?"

"You take care too. Thanks for helping us out. We really appreciate it," replies Max.

There is a brief, awkward moment when they both naturally reach in for a hug but stop midway when they realise what they're doing. Chloe ends up adjusting her beanie and Max bashfully scratches the back of her neck. The pair notice too late that they both wanted the hug but chickened out at the final moment.

 _This is ridiculous. There is no guarantee that we'll live until tomorrow. Gotta carpe diem and shit._

If anything the past teaches Chloe, it's that people don't stay. They will either die or be forced to leave, which is why she refuses to love again. Max is different though. It's too late for her to climb out of that hole. So she takes a deep breath, tries again and opens her arms with a wistful smile. Max appreciates Chloe taking the first step and gratefully embraces her tight. Chloe buries her face into the side of Max's hair and feels her heart soar as she takes all of Max in. _My Max._

Of course it will take a lot more than a simple hug to overcome years of bitterness, anger and despair. But THIS, this is a start. Maybe Chloe can finally start to heal after being abandoned by two of the most important people in her life. Her mother couldn't help, and Rachel couldn't fill the hole in her heart, no matter how hard both of them tried.

"Welcome home, Max," whispers Chloe, before reluctantly releasing her friend.

Max could only nod quietly, the lump in her throat preventing her from saying another word. Chloe notices this and looks away, feeling choked up at having to separate from Max again so soon. She carefully steps into the kitchen, unlocks the back door and walks out before she changes her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Max takes out two pieces of a broken metal fork from her pocket. She places the head in the lock, closes the back door and criss-crosses it with the body of the fork. She tries to open the stuck door, feels satisfied that the low-tech security hack works, and finally locks the door knob.

They were sloppy once, and that is a mistake they cannot afford to make again.

Max turns and quickly walks out of the kitchen, eager to avoid the bloody scene of what happened four nights ago from replaying in her mind. It is bad enough she has to go through it every time she tries to sleep.

But it is too late. Her mind starts relaying images of herself, Victoria and Warren storming back into the house after hearing gunshots ringing a mile out in the silence of the night. She first saw the slumped bodies of Samuel Taylor and Michelle Grant against the kitchen cabinets, their throats were slit and exposed, their lifeless eyes opened wide. Daniel DaCosta lay still a couple of feet away clutching his still bleeding stomach, while Evan Harris had a knife stuck in his eye socket. One unknown man lay sprawled motionless on his pool of blood halfway out of the kitchen while another with laboured breathing was crawling towards Kate, aiming his gun at her with a shaky hand. There were a couple of bullet holes at his back, stained red with blood.

Kate was clutching her bleeding shoulder as she walked towards the man, her face was cold and expressionless. Without hesitation, she put two quick shots into the back of his head. She looked at us briefly and stared at her bloody hand before falling to her knees. Victoria rushed past Max, screaming Kate's name…

Max shuts the sliding doors behind her and tries to suppress the memories. She is breathing heavily by this time, her palms are sweaty and her heart beating alarmingly fast. This should have been the end, but her mind now wanders to the six freshly dug graves in her backyard, once a childhood haven for her and Chloe swimming in an inflatable pool during the summer, and flying kites in spring.

"Max?"

Victoria's call snaps her back to the present. She quickly heads upstairs towards Victoria, intent on staying as far away from the cursed kitchen as possible.

Victoria is crouching behind the potted plants in the balcony, and raises her eyebrow curiously at Max. There is a silent question of _Are you okay?_ in her unspoken gesture. Like Max, the traumatic scene she witnessed in the kitchen has scarred her, perhaps for life. What they went through was not something they would wish on their worst enemies.

Max returns her look with a nod and joins her in the balcony. "How's it looking?"

"Your girl did well," replies Victoria while tossing the binoculars at Max for a look.

 _My girl._

Zooming in, Max sees Chloe speaking and walking side-to-side with a tall man decked in full military combat uniform and an AK-47. If he is tasked to bring Chloe back, she must be an important person to the military. With the rest of the team bringing up the rear, Max sees them walking towards a different street, away from their current location.

 _I'll see you soon, Chloe. I promise._

Victoria stands up and walks out of the balcony. "Well, that's that. I'll take the first watch. You go ahead and take a break."

"No, I can't sleep now. Not yet anyway. You go on and keep Kate company," Max says as she follows Victoria out and closes the balcony's sliding doors behind her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," says Max, while putting on a reassuring smile. It feels weird to smile after the mini breakdown she had, but sleep is the last thing she wants right now.

Victoria gives a hesitant nod before heading towards Kate's room. Max is grateful that Victoria didn't push it. Their relationship is barely cordial at best, but strangely, they genuinely care and trust each other with their lives.

Max does a quick check of all the windows in the house, making sure that each of them is either locked tight or fully boarded up. The front door also has to be properly bolted and locked. She thought about propping a chair against the door just to be doubly safe but decides that is probably an overkill.

She then brings her backpack to the living room and takes out her journal. She hasn't touched it in weeks, but now is probably a good time as any to return to writing. But she is at a loss as to where to start. She needed to write about the massacre of her team members; she needed to address the pain and horror, but it feels too soon to revisit the awful memory.

Her mind then wonders to Chloe. She recalls the hug, smelling Chloe's scent of earth, cheap perfume and cigarette smoke. Her scent was different from when they were kids, but it was still very Chloe. Max notes her dyed blue hair, pale skin, and lanky stature. Everything about her is beautiful and perfect, and Max is once again beating herself up emotionally for leaving her best friend behind.

Max suddenly stops writing. _Wait, did I just say my best friend is beautiful AND perfect?_

She re-reads her writing and wonders seriously for the first time if she is in love with Chloe Price. She has fleetingly questioned herself before; it's hard not to when she is so consumed by anything related to Chloe. But Max is very confident of her sexuality. She is interested in cute, geeky guys. A good case in point is Warren Graham.

Warren and his father showed up at her camp three years after the war hit the country. They were fleeing Arcadia Bay after Warren's mother was raped and murdered by looters who broke into their house and stole all their food. Warren was hiding in the cellar and spared the trauma. His father, however, shot himself in the head a week after moving into the rebels' camp. It is as if his sole living purpose after his wife's death was to place his son somewhere safe before joining her.

It took Warren a year to get over his parents' death. He claimed that the looters were army soldiers and vowed vengeance. He works out, trains hard, and quickly joins the elders for reconnaissance and mini assignments once he was deemed ready. He matured from a skinny gawky boy at sixteen, to a well-built, confident young man at twenty-one. Despite his physical appearance however, Warren is still the same guy who talks to Max about his favourite Dr Who episodes and how much he misses playing video games.

Max is pretty sure THAT is her type. She was certainly pleased when he told her he likes her. When he first held her close to kiss her, Max was sure it would be magical and special. It didn't disappoint her too much when it…wasn't. She understood that it was not fair to compare the kiss with Chloe's. Chloe was an expert and Warren wasn't – it's that simple.

But Max couldn't find the reason for the lack of sparks even after the first kiss progressed to some intense make-out sessions. On paper, Warren is perfect for her. They share the same interests and sense of humour. He has even professed his love for her (which Max could only replied noncommittally with "Me too") and they are already finishing off each other's sentences. But when Warren wants to take the next step with her, alarm bells went off in Max's mind and she abruptly broke up with him. No one, least of all Max herself, understands why. Warren blames himself for pushing her, and agrees to give Max some space, even though that wasn't exactly what Max was asking for.

Being gay would explain Max's lukewarm interests in Warren sexually. But considering she has been in the female changing room numerous times and never once had the inclination to peek at others or feel hot and bothered when in close proximity with other half-naked women, she brushes off the thought.

It is not her sexuality that is in question but her feelings for Chloe. She has always looked up to her best friend, even beyond reasons sometimes, but to be in love with her is a whole different kettle of fish.

 _Could it be possible though?_

She closes her eyes and focuses on Chloe – the sparkle in her eyes when she is up to mischief, the special look she gives that is reserved for Max, how Chloe feels in her arms, how she breathes close to Max's ear earlier in the embrace…

Max's eyes pop open. She feels warm and flushed and her face is blushing profusely.

 _Oh my god, I definitely have a thing for Chloe Price…_

"Hey, has everything been quiet here?"

Max jumps. "Jesus! Vic, stop creeping up on me."

"For godssakes, you are jittery today. Go eat something if you haven't already yet then get some sleep. I'll be with Kate during her watch and we'll wake you up when it's time to move," says Victoria as she plops herself on a nearby chair.

Max didn't realise that she has been writing and daydreaming about Chloe for the past five hours. She packs up her things and heads upstairs to her old bedroom. Half of her items have been looted and the other half have been thrashed but the bed was left relatively untouched. She settles down and absent-mindedly opens her can of tuna salad and eats it mechanically. She hardly tastes anything, and is mildly surprised to find out that she finished her meal. After cleaning up and brushing her teeth over the sink with a bottled water, she crawls into bed and continues thinking of Chloe. Max flips onto her back and slips out the photo of her and Chloe from her pocket. She stares longingly at the photo until her eyes grew heavy.

 _I'll return this to her tomorrow._

With that final promise, she hugs the photo to her chest and sinks into the first dreamless sleep she had in a long time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Two… three…. no, four times Chloe searches through each pocket and compartment of her backpack for the photo. Frustrated, she flings the half-empty backpack against the nearby wall of her room and belatedly prays that step-douche is not home. All the din she is making would surely earn her another earful and she has had enough of that. Last night's shouting match was bad enough. While most parents would have been happy to see their children safe and sound, step-douche ripped into her for being an inconsiderate brat for worrying her mother and an overall fuck-up in life.

People say you'll get over losing the ones you love over time. Chloe would sure love to meet those people and shove their bullshit into their mouths. Because time only makes her miss her father even more, especially with step-douche's insufferable existence.

She lies down on her bed and tries to calm herself down. There is no time for her usual morning medication. She has to get ready soon if she wants to make it in time for the peace treaty. Perhaps she doesn't need the photo anymore if she has Max in her life again. The thought perks her up a bit. She gets off the bed and goes through her usual morning routine – she brushes her teeth, has a quick rationed shower, puts on her dog tag, and wears acceptable civilian clothes (or in other words, the least tatty, moths-ridden clothes). She skips combing her hair and instead shoves her beanie hat over her head. She quickly packs her bag and considers wearing her father's ballistic vest, but decides against it.

Wearing a bullet-proof vest to a peace treaty convention wouldn't exactly convey a feeling of trust or inspire the illusion of peace. Besides, she wants to dissociate herself from the military.

 _Technically, I'm not military anyway. Just a bum living off my mother._

Being in civilian clothes also means if she manages to get close to Max, she wouldn't automatically be shot on sight.

She leaves her room and closes the door behind her. The small, rundown apartment is quiet, which means the coast is clear for Chloe to make her escape. She tiptoes past the half-opened master bedroom and peeks inside. Joyce is fast asleep on the bed, still exhausted from her earlier shift. Chloe feels bad for putting her mother through her shit, she really does. If she could control her actions, she would have tried to act like a more mature and civil human being. But Joyce married an epic asshole, so that was that.

Chloe walks out of the apartment complex undetected and coolly walks towards a hidden exit. It is an oddly chilly morning, despite the clear sunlight. There are a few people in the parade square, minding their own business and talking among themselves. All of them are wearing their uniforms and seem to be heading towards the main gate, presumably on the way to witness the peace treaty themselves. Chloe even sees some bringing their children out, but she catches sight of Trevor and Justin some distance away and quickens her pace to avoid them. They are friends, but she does not want to handle questions about Rachel's whereabouts. Not right now anyway. She finally reaches the outskirts of the camp and crawls underneath a loose mesh wire fence. Throwing a cautious glance over her shoulder, she heads towards the town plaza some 30 minutes away by foot.

Thoughts of Max accompany her throughout the journey as she contemplates the possibility of the end of the civil war. Not that she is getting her hopes up, but she gets sucked in anyway over the idea of living a normal life with Max by her side, just like old times. Screw the military soldiers and rebel warriors. People should work together as a nation without shooting, bombing and killing one another on a daily basis.

 _Yeah, move over, Chase. Senator Price is out to win over the country_ , Chloe chuckles to herself.

Lost in her own musings, she suddenly realises she has already reached the perimeter of the town plaza. There is a crowd surrounding the outskirts, mostly regular citizens. It is easy to identify them. Their clothes tend to be shabbier, their faces dirtier, and they smell funkier, for lack of a nicer word. It is easy to see why when they have to scavenge for every morsel of food and live on the streets. It is how they survive. It is also one of the reasons people are forced to choose sides in order to live humanely. Chloe hopes no one notices that she looks… too clean.

After stepping on a few toes and muttering half-hearted apologies, she squeezes to the front of the crowd and takes in the view in front of her. The town plaza is gorgeous as always, especially in fall. It is big enough to fit a whole football field and right now, it is littered with fallen golden brown leaves. Even the half decimated statue of the founder of Arcadia Bay in the centre of the plaza looks less depressing than usual.

A few miles ahead of her stood an old stage where the peace announcement will be made. There is nothing amazing to be said of the stage; it is probably a last-minute set-up by the logistics team. It has a rostrum, speakers on both sides, a table and two chairs.

There are a few hundred people already at the plaza, but they have been divided into two distinctive sides with two long rusty chain poles in the middle to segregate them: the military group on her left, and the rebels on her right. It is like being in a high school cafeteria where the jocks and nerds have their own tables away from each other. If so, Chloe is currently sitting at the outcasts table. She heads to the left and joins the military side. She figures it will be easier for her to spot Max on the opposite side.

She hears someone making an introduction on the stage, but Chloe ignores him and keeps her eyes on the opposite side of the plaza. She mentally checks out each face in the crowd.

 _Not that one, not that one, nope, nope. Dammit, maybe I'll stay put and make her find me…_

Chloe starts to walk down the military aisle towards the stage. Soon, there are polite claps on her side and loud cheers from the rebels as Senator Chase walks to the podium. Chloe ignores the circus surrounding her and focuses on finding her friend's cute freckled face.

 _Wait, not cute. Just…freckled. Very freckled. Ugh, why am I so absorbed with her freckles?_

There was a short mic feedback before Senator Chase begins his speech. "Thank you everyone for being here. It is with great honour that I stand here humbly in front of you…"

Chloe tunes out his words and continues searching as she moves down the crowd towards the stage. The crowds have mostly quietened down and many are simply listening to the boring speech. She was almost halfway down the aisle when someone grabs her from behind.

"Chloe? Dude, where the hell have you been?" says someone a little too loudly. "We haven't seen you at the half-pipe in ages!" Chloe whirls around and sees James smirking at her. His eyes have their usual glazed look, and there is a fresh cut over his right eyebrow, no doubt due to one of his recent crazy stunts on the pipe.

"Heyyy. Yeah, I've been busy, man. Listen, I have somewhere to go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I promise," she replies quickly and pulls herself out of his grasp.

She hurries off before he could say another word. She continues to fervently look for Max but is quickly losing hope. If she sees another dirty, brown haired, pimple-faced snot in the crowd…

And that is when Chloe sees Max, who is, at the same time, scanning the military crowd. Relieved, Chloe stands exactly opposite Max and waits until finally, Max's gaze falls on Chloe. Her face visibly brightened, which simultaneously breaks and makes Chloe's heart skip. Max looks safe and well. She gives a discrete wave and Chloe briefly considers running and jumping into her arms like an overzealous lover, but that is probably a little too much. And inappropriate. But mostly a little too much.

"…With that being said, I would like to invite my old friend, Colonel Sean Prescott, to the stage with me to sign the Declaration of Peace."

Chloe remembers vaguely clapping with the crowd following the announcement. Her attention strayed to the stage for a second as she watches Senator Chase walking towards Colonel Prescott in the middle of the stage.

This is finally happening. The war has ended, she thinks before finally letting herself believe again.

She turns her gaze back to Max and grins at her. She remembers feeling hopeful again before an explosion knocks her off her feet.

* * *

Chloe blinks her eyes open as she feels someone using his body as a shield and dragging her towards one of the buildings surrounding the plaza. She feels light-headed and her ears are ringing again from a second blow in as many days. It is chaos all around her as people are scurrying for covers amidst gunshots and another loud explosion erupting in the distance. There are indiscriminate shouts and screams. Everything feels dreamlike and surreal, yet the sharp smell of smoke and burn tells her it is all very real.

"Chloe? Chloe, are you awake?" says the person who puts her down and leans her up against a nearby pillar away from the plaza. Chloe tries to focus on the stocky person in front of her.

"David?" she says half-groggily, not quite believing who she is seeing.

"Oh, thank god," he says before giving her an unfamiliar but tight hug. Being pushed into her step-father's embrace jolts her fully awake. It does not feel anything like her own father's hug; but for a fleeting moment, she feels a weird feeling she has almost forgotten. She feels… safe.

Until she becomes fully aware the person hugging her is David fucking Madsen. _Abort, abort, abort._ She pulls back instantly and looks at him questioningly. Half of his face is covered with dirt and soot. He looks uncharacteristically worried and…

 _Oh my god, is he tearing up? Stop that, this is so awkward..._

"Chloe, listen to me," David says urgently while grabbing her face with his hands. His eyes boring down into hers, not unkindly but determined. "Follow Henderson back to base camp. Do not look back, do not stray from him and do not slow down. We are under attack, but everything will be fine. Go." Just as suddenly as he appeared before her, he is gone again.

Immediately, Chloe feels someone grabbing her arm and dragging her away from the pillar. She continues to instead watch David for a few moments as he joins the shootout. Her eyes travel back to the plaza and to the very spot Max was standing at across the divider. She is gone. Instead, Chloe sees plumes of smoke and raging fire in her place. She sees military fighters bringing reinforcements into the plaza. Rebels are taking cover and preparing to attack.

 _No, no, no, no, no…_

Chloe yanks her arm out of Henderson's grip and runs towards the plaza. She ignores his desperate calls and even hears David's voice in the distance ordering his men to stop shooting when she jumps into the combat zone and races to the other side. It is only when she is in the middle of the plaza that she slows down and notices the dead bodies lying around. Some of them bloodied or full of soot; others missing their limbs. She prays she wouldn't see a familiar face among them. The smoke stings her eyes and she covers her nose with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Chloe?! Chloe!"

She looks towards the voice and breathes a sigh of relief. Max is alive.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Max pulls Chloe into a death hug, this time without any hesitation. Just a minute ago, Max could only scream mutely as she watched in horror as her best friend's body was flung like a rag doll due to a nearby blast. Max has to stop from pinching herself that Chloe is here and well and unharmed. If this were a dream, she would rather not wake up.

"Oh my god, I thought…," Chloe whispers. Whatever she wanted to say was replaced by a tightened grip on Max. It did not matter though. Max understands.

"I thought too," Max replies softly, but starts to become acutely aware that they are attracting unwanted attention. Not only are they hugging in the middle of an active combat zone, but someone from the military side can be heard shouting for Chloe. Rebel fighters nearby pause in the middle of firing shots at the soldiers to look around for the Chloe in question.

 _Thank god she has the sense not to be in uniform._

Max grabs Chloe's hand and quickly drags her away from the parade square. They pass by the rebels gearing themselves for battle and try to ignore the cries of the civilians and non-fighters on the streets. Some of them are sobbing over the loved ones in their arms while others are scampering towards the rebels' trucks to escape.

Max did not know where they should head to, but the rebel's campsite is definitely a no-go. Chloe would stick out like a sore thumb and there is nothing about her that could possibly pass off as a civilian living on the streets. Max cannot leave her behind either, and there is no way she could sneak Chloe back to her barracks without getting shot at herself.

But they need a refuge now; a shelter to lie low at until after the chaos has subsided. A low rumble of thunder in the distance and oncoming gloomy clouds just makes finding sanctuary even more critical.

"Max, where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere, just trust me."

 _…..Probably not the wisest thing to say to someone you left behind when she needed you the most, Max_. But she is relieved when Chloe did not reply so.

Max sees Warren barking at the non-fighters to hurry onto the trucks and she stops in her tracks. His disposition of anyone military-related would surely lead to trouble or even certain death for Chloe. Trying not to panic, Max yanks Chloe to the opposite end. She sees the outskirts of the local park and knows where they can go now. After fifteen minutes of intermittent jogging and brisk walking in silence, they are finally totally alone, though they can never be freed from the echoes of gunfires in the distance.

"Amazeballs, this piece of shit still survives."

"I know, isn't it great? Come on," Max gestures before swiftly climbing up the wooden planks leading up to their old tree house for the second time that week.

She crawls into the tight space and moves to the far corner of the tree house. The low roof makes it almost impossible for adults to walk around in the tree house and the two windows on the opposite sides are useless and full of grime. But it is comfortable enough for two people to hide in and the foundation is still sturdy. Max was surprised at not seeing a hobo claiming the tree house as his own, but she figured it would be a fairly uncomfortable stay on a long-term basis and not many people actually walk through the dense park looking up for tree houses.

Chloe crawls in soon after and she looks around in a half-amused grin and wonder. "Does the trunk still have my Mighty Max collection? Or your teacup collection?"

"See for yourself. Unfortunately, the economy still does not see kids' toys as valuable trading commodity," Max replies before thirstily chugging some water from her bottle.

Max is thrilled to hear Chloe's chuckles. "Fuck you, my toys are legendary."

She lifts open the nearby trunk and is soon lost in silent nostalgia as she goes through their childhood toys. It was the exact motion Max went through when she checked out the tree house a few days ago. No one was prepared for the world to be in utter disarray just a decade ago. Not for the first time, Max wonders how they would have turned out if their lives were normal.

Chloe lets out a loud sigh and soon joins Max sitting by the wall. The mood in the tree house shifts just as the sky starts pouring, drowning any sounds of war with its unforgiving rain and roaring thunder. The tarp above still keeps most of the rain off the tree house. They are certainly stuck here then, cocooned in space and time. They sit in silence for awhile as Chloe takes a drink from her own bottle. Max wonders if there is another confrontation brewing or if Chloe is simply still stuck in the past.

"That was a shitty move."

 _Confrontation it is then._

"What exactly are you referring to?"

"The bombings, Max," Chloe says exasperatedly. Max is quite sure she is rolling her eyes too. "Working with the military may not be ideal solution for the rebels, but what the fuck? You are trying to win the war by bombing us? By calling a so-called peace treaty? There were civvies there, Max. I thought you guys were better than the military."

"What?" Max laughs incredulously and Chloe finally turns to look at her. "Hang on, you think we are behind this attack? Chloe, we didn't travel across states to the enemy's front lines to throw damn firecrackers at their doorsteps. We barely have enough to eat, much less have the resources to start a full-on attack. I'm sorry, Chloe, but the military is behind this."

"No way, Max," Chloe says while shaking her head. "There were children and non-combatants at the parade square. They were our people. We don't have enough bodies around to just….throw under the bus to start a rampage. It doesn't fucking make sense."

"Well, there is a saboteur among us then. Because someone wanted to tank that peace treaty, and it worked."

Chloe starts to unpack her cigarettes and offer Max one. "If that's true, then that's above my paygrade to figure out."

"Hear, hear," Max replies before taking one stick, hoping that it also represents a truce.

Chloe helps to light her cigarette and they sit smoking quietly for awhile. Both are devastated about the failed treaty but equally content to bask in each other's presence.

"So, what's next?" Chloe finally asks after her cigarette burns out.

"We should probably wait it out till dawn. It would be safer then to…"

"No, I mean, are you leaving Arcadia Bay now that the treaty is botched?"

Max tenses. Chloe is watching her again. Her expression seems impassive, but Max knows the wrong response could make her fly off the handle. She takes a deep breath and hopes that the truth will suffice.

"I don't have to," Max responds while reaching out for Chloe's hand. Their relationship has always been tactile since they were kids; their instincts are always to touch each other, whether as a form of protection or reassurance. Chloe does not move her hand away, which is a good sign, although the contact burns Max's skin now that she is focused on it.

"Eight years ago, I didn't have a choice. It's a decision that I regret everyday. But I'm never leaving you again, Chloe. Never. I'm staying," says Max softly but determinedly.

"Wow, SuperMax, look who has gone full-fledged Casanova on me," teases Chloe, but the soft blush creeping up her neck as she looks away shows that she believes her words. She still trusts her after everything that happened, and it painfully lifts Max's heart, even though she does not deserve it.

 _I will do everything in my power to make it up to her._

It is then that Max notices something red peeking out from underneath Chloe's jacket sleeve.

"Chloe, is that…a tattoo?"

"Oh right, let me show you," she exclaims before casually shrugging off her leather jacket and showing off her full sleeve tattoo.

"Ta-dah. Neat, right?" she says proudly. "Apparently, one of our tank mechanics used to be a tattoo artist and he brought out his tools one day and I was fucking stoked. Anyway, I drew the design myself. It hurt like a bitch and it took a few weeks to be done. But damn, that guy is hella good."

Max is mesmerised by the intricate design of red flowers weaved with thorns and a golden skull and small blue butterflies fluttering about. She is tempted to ask what it all means, but they are probably not ready to open that can of worms yet. The design is so detailed that Max doubts Chloe drew it purely for aesthetics.

"Well, he was anyway," Chloe rambles on, but she also seems to have taken a sudden intake of breath when Max starts tracing the outline of her tattoo absentmindedly. "He was crushed by a tank in the middle of repairing it a few months ago, but I have his tools and I've been practising, so if you are ready for your first tattoo, I'm your girl."

"Hey, what makes you think I haven't had tattoos? Maybe I have a flaming dragon on my back," says Max, feeling mildly indignant. Chloe raises her eyebrow at that and smirks.

"Okay, Caulfield. Take off your hoodie and your shirt and show me your dragon," she teases, even winking at Max when she says the word _dragon_.

"What? No, I'm not going to take off my shirt just to show off my…dragon. Besides, we just met again yesterday. You have to do more to get me to go topless for you."

 _Oh my god, what am I doing?! Am I flirting with Chloe? Max, get yourself under control!_

"Oh? Tell me what I need to do then to get you topless," Chloe says as she leans closer. Her voice has gone husky and seductive. Her expression has gone predatory and she is definitely moving into Max's personal space. The latter's mind has gone numb and her tongue has turned into lead and her heart is thumping wildly in her chest. She sits frozen, staring into Chloe's hungry blue eyes.

"Er…"

Chloe suddenly pulls back and bursts out laughing. It is a full, hearty laugh, just like when they were kids. Max thought she would never hear that carefree laugh again. Then she remembers she is supposed to be annoyed.

"You are an asshole, Chloe," says Max without any bite, while flicking the used cigarette at her best friend who is doubling over in hysterics.

"Man, you should have seen your face. Classic Max," says Chloe, still in between laughs.

Looking to pull a fast one on Chloe, Max grabs her beanie and puts it on her head instead. That successfully shut Chloe up, though Max is not prepared to see Chloe's sudden intense gaze on her.

"You are rockin' the look, BatMax."

"I try. This beanie is super comfortable. Did a boyfriend give it to you?"

"Well, something like that," Chloe says evasively, which is so unlike her.

"Not Nathan Prescott, I hope?"

"Ew, god, no," she says disgustedly. "What were you doing there anyway?"

"Well, stealing his medical supplies. We know Colonel Prescott's son would have plenty of stocks," Max answers nonchalantly. "Why were you there then?"

Chloe leans back and sighs. "I was looking for someone. A friend. She was supposed to report back weeks ago and she hasn't."

"So, a girl….friend?" Max asks, even though she already knows the answer.

"…..Something like that."

 _Well, dammit._


End file.
